I Reincarnated as Slave in a Corrupt Noble House But I Have a System!

The night had been restless.

I'd woken twice — once to the sound of distant coughing, and again to a sharp pinch in my thigh. Scamperton. Probably trying to alert me, or maybe just hungry. Either way, I didn't sleep much, and by the time the early torches flickered in the halls, my body felt like wet rope held together by aching joints.

But I remembered the task.

Knife Familiarization — 100 swings before sunrise.

I checked the corner where I'd hidden Tarn's gift. The dull kitchen knife wasn't ideal, but it would do. I rose, cracked my knuckles, and stepped into the hallway just outside the storage room. Cold air bit at my neck. Scamperton skittered behind me, pausing only to sit atop a wooden crate and stare with mild judgment.

"You're not helping," I muttered.

The first ten swings were awkward. I wasn't used to this — construction tools, sure. Wrenches, hammers, even electric saws. But a knife? My grip felt wrong, the weight uneven. I adjusted.

Twenty.

Thirty.

At fifty swings, my shoulder burned. But I could already feel something settling. Not mastery — just familiarity. Like my body was absorbing the motion, tucking it away.

Scamperton squeaked once. Encouragingly, I hoped.

At seventy, my fingers cramped. At ninety, I had to clench my jaw to keep from crying out.

And at one hundred...

[Task Complete: Knife Familiarization – 100/100][Reward Acquired: +1 Dexterity / Skill Unlocked – Knife Mastery I][Dexterity increased to 7.][New Skill: Knife Mastery II – Basic proficiency with small blades. Bonus to grip, balance, and precision strikes.]

The moment the message faded, I felt it.

The knife no longer felt foreign. My fingers wrapped around the handle like they belonged there. It was still just a kitchen tool — dull, unimpressive — but in my hand, it was something else.

A reminder that I wasn't just surviving anymore.

I was preparing.

Later that morning, Bran was screaming at someone again.

This time, it was Kyle.

I rounded the corner to find the boy standing rigid in the courtyard, trembling, as Bran waved a cracked ledger in the air.

"You think I wouldn't notice? These sacks were short by two kilos. Two!"

Kyle swallowed hard. "I-I measured it twice. Hyle helped me. We just—"

"Hyle too, huh? Maybe both of you need a refresher in pain."

I stepped in before the man could pull off his belt. "Maybe you should ask the guard who took two sacks out of the cellar last night."

Bran spun. "What did you say?"

I held up a bundle of damp straw. "Found this stuffed in the bottom of one of the empty sacks. Classic trick. Lightens the load but looks full at a glance. Saw it in a warehouse job once. Rookie mistake."

He stared at me. Scowled. But his hand didn't go for the belt.

Instead, he stormed off, muttering curses and promises to recheck the entire inventory.

Kyle looked stunned. "You… you lied."

"No," I said. "I bought you time."

He nodded slowly, his face pale with confusion and something else. Gratitude.

Hyle joined us a minute later. "Did you just save us?"

"Let's call it an investment."

They followed me around like loyal ducklings for the rest of the day.

In the evening, I found myself drawn back to the hidden corridor behind the barn. The one with the loose brick.

I brought gloves this time.

I eased the brick out again, brushing off dust. Something had changed. Tucked behind the cavity was a folded parchment — no wax seal, but neatly creased.

I unfolded it slowly.

"Stage 3 shipment reduced. Blame assigned to servants. Arrest two to cover weight discrepancy. Sera's orders."

I stared at the paper. Cold sank into my chest.

So that's how they operated.

The noble family wasn't just cruel. They were methodical. Efficient. Sera was using theft and smuggling to hide supply shortages — and pinning it on the lowest, most replaceable workers.

Like Kyle. Like Hyle.

Like me.

I folded the paper carefully, slid it into my apron pocket, and replaced the brick.

Now I had proof.

I returned to the scullery and found Tarn tending the fire.

"Tell me something," I said, voice low. "Has anyone ever accused Bran or Sera directly?"

He didn't look at me. "Once. A girl named Ila. She asked questions about grain stock disappearing. Next day, she was accused of theft. Lashings. Transferred to the outer mines."

"And no one stopped it?"

"We all saw what happened. That was enough."

I sat beside him. "I think it's time someone made the Overseer nervous again."

He didn't answer.

But he didn't tell me to stop, either.

That night, I began my first quiet experiment.

I'd already seen how the kitchen logs were maintained. Each entry was handwritten, dated, and signed by Bran. No second signature, no oversight. It was easy to swap one page if you timed it right.

During cleanup, I "accidentally" spilled a pot of broth onto Bran's logbook. He swore at me, of course, but tossed the page aside and stomped off to fetch a dry cloth.

I pocketed the ruined page.

Later, I rewrote it. Almost identical — except for one detail.

I listed the storage weights as matching inventory.

Which meant the grain discrepancy this week?

Couldn't be blamed on the cellar boys.

Not unless Bran wanted to explain why his records were inconsistent.

I tucked the replacement page into the log when no one was looking.

First small step.

Let's see how he likes cleaning up lies of his own.

That night, I sat on the cot and stared at the knife beside me.

Not a weapon.

A promise.

Scamperton crept closer, his tail brushing my ankle. He squeaked once, then curled into a tight ball.

"Yeah," I murmured. "I know. I'm not ready yet."

But I was getting there.

Slowly.

Quietly.

One small cut at a time.

[Status Update – Reed / Jeong Dae-Hyun]Strength: 4Dexterity: 7Willpower: 6Stamina: 4Endurance: 3Intelligence: 6

Favor (Maela): 4Favor (Bran): 0Favor (Livia): 3Favor (Kyle): 2 – Grateful AttachmentFavor (Hyle): 1 – Cautious Curiosity

Perks: Fast Learner ISkills: Knife Mastery II ...Hidden Traits: 3% UnlockedFamiliar Bond (Scamperton): 6% – Mild Trust